


Learning

by Talullah



Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-29
Updated: 2015-06-29
Packaged: 2018-04-06 18:17:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4231905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Talullah/pseuds/Talullah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Celebrimbor visits his cousin for lunch and gets a shining idea in return.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Learning

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [](http://huinare.livejournal.com/profile)[**huinare**](http://huinare.livejournal.com/)'s [Sorry, Celebrimbor month](http://huinare.livejournal.com/324131.html).
> 
> [Disclaimer/Blanket Statement](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Talullah/profile)

**Ost-in-Edhil, 790 SA**

Celebrimbor was enjoying the shade in Galadriel’s inner garden. He liked some of the things his cousin had thought of for Ost-en-Edhil, and one he really appreciated were the way most houses were designed to have a square at their center with some plants, grass and even a fountain, now that he had solved the problem of keeping the water in the city’s pipes with pressure. The house gardens, as they called them, brought some nature into the city, which was especially important to the Sindar and the Silvans. He would not have thought of it, but Galadriel was always one step ahead when it came to the interests of her husband and his people.

One day they might clash, Celebrimbor thought, as he sipped his cool water from a fine crystal glass. Galadriel and Celeborn enjoyed the pretty trinkets that emerged from the innovations and improvements he had worked into the city’s industry, but they remained obsessed with the idea that there was something unnatural or offensive in working the stone, the metals, the materials of Arda. Celebrimbor could understand that double standard in Celeborn, but not in Artanis – had she forgotten Aman at all?

But today, Celebrimbor was merely visiting his cousin for a lazy Sunday lunch. He had sought Celeborn’s advice on marriage. There was a girl, a woman, really. He liked her, but she was Sindar and he wanted to make sure their common lives would not be made hell by too much nature-fundamentalism on her part. Celeborn knew both of them well-enough to provide sound insight.

They had talked and now Celebrimbor watched Celebrían play, as the staff moved in and out of the garden, placing the table for the four of them. He liked this little cousin of his, with her odd silver hair and the blue eyes of her mother brimming with intelligence.

As if realizing she was being watched, Celebrían rose to her feet and came to his side. 

“Look, Cousin,” she said, lifting up her work toward Celebrimbor. “I was tired of having to draw daisies and roses and carnations and lilies over and over again, so I asked Meleth to carve me each flower and now I can mix them up however I want to make my gardens.”

Celebrían beamed proudly at her invention as Celebrimbor took the sheet of paper from her hand and examined it. 

“I see,” he said. “This is mightily interesting, young cousin. Will you explain to me how it works?”

Celebrían unceremoniously made room for herself in his lap. “I dip the blocks in paint, whichever colour I like and then press them into the paper in the order I like. It saves me a lot of work! Meleth says she is going to carve me more flowers soon.”

Celebrimbor chuckled at this seven-year old who already talked about saving work. It was a funny idea, that of Celebrían’s, he thought as she slid down from his lap and went back to her work. A random thought wandered into his mind. There was this young scribe he had befriended… Actually, Erestor was a cousin of his intended. They often drank a tankard of ale in the evening at the inn and caught up with the latest gossip.

_“I wish there was a quicker way to write the copies of the edits. My hands are cramped at the end of a day writing the same words over and over until a hundred copies are ready to be affixed in all the public places.”_

Celebrimbor frowned as Erestor’s words from the previous evening echoed in his mind.

“But you would be out of a job,” he had replied.

“I would not,” Erestor had said. “It is a tedious task but there are many others which could benefit from my time. The other scribes feel the same way.”

Celebrimbor had not noticed he was chewing his thumbnail until Galadriel called him to the table. The slightest note of impatience told him she had called him before. Celebrían kept on imprinting flowers with her little carved blocks. From his position… they almost… almost looked like _tengwar_!

“That girl is a genius!” Celebrimbor said, jumping to his feet. Celebrían and Galadriel stared at him, the first startled, the second, beaming, delighted.

Celebrimbor picked her up and loudly kissed her cheek, making her squirm and giggle.

“Sorry, cousin, I cannot stay for lunch!” Celebrimbor said, depositing a quick peck on Galadriel’s cheek. “Please thank your husband for our talk. I shall be back soon. Celebrían just gave me the most wonderful idea.”

“But the roast…” Galadriel said.

Celebrimbor almost laughed. It was not often that Galadriel was left dumbfounded. She already through he was crazy. “Enjoy!” he said, as he ran out, bumping into Celeborn at the doorway and leaving him too staring speechless.

The laughter did bubble out of him as he hasted down the street toward his workshop. He had work to do.

_Finis  
June 2015_


End file.
